Power Electronics Lab

The power electronics laboratory was made possible by combining resources and facilities from several sources as indicated below.Equipment from a Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Four complete power electronics experimental stations each equipped with configurable converter/inverter boards (Power Poles), power supplies, digital oscilloscopes, personal computers, multi-meters, variable loads, other miscellaneous tools, printers, and Matlab/simulink, PSIM, Simplorer, and PSpice software. Each of the stations is also equipped with advanced data acquisition and processing units based on the digital signal processing boards by dSPACE, Inc. Using any of the given software, students can first design and simulate the operation of various simple and complex controlled and uncontrolled switching circuits. Using the Power Pole boards, the student designs can then be physically configured and controlled through a Matlab/Simulink and dSPACE interface.

Similar to the power electronics laboratory equipment, the electric drives facilities were made possible by combining resources from several sources.Equipment from a Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The equipment under this grant have been acquired based on the project model that has been implemented and evaluated successfully at the University of Minnesota (UMN) under the NSF CCLI-EMD- 9952704 grant. Four complete electric drive experimental stations each equipped with various 42 V dc and ac motors, configurable converter/inverter drives, power supplies, oscilloscopes, personal computers, multimeters, variable loads, other miscellaneous tools, printers, and Matlab/simulink, PSIM, Simplorer andPSpice software. Each of the stations is also equipped with advanced data acquisition and processing units based on the digital signal processing boards by dSPACE, Inc.

A set of state-of-the-art power electronics, electric drives, and renewable energy systems laboratories for education and research have been established at the school of engineering of the University of North Dakota. These laboratories are made possible jointly by the university, the State of North Dakota, U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation. The student responses to these laboratories have been extremely positive. Using the laboratory equipment, the instruction of advanced power electronics, electric drives, and renewable energy systems has been greatly facilitated. The students are excited as they are now constantly challenged to assimilate and to put into practice all of the concepts that they learn in class. The study of theoretical concepts followed by hands-on practices has turned out to be a great course structure and a very positive motivational approach in making students interested in multi-disciplinary power electronics, electric drives, and renewable energy topics that are of vital interest to the industry and the nation.